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It is critical in business to Know Your Customers so you can market to them and potential customers. Before you spend any money on marketing, first spend some time analyzing the answer to this question. “Do you know your customers?” “Who are your customers?” Businesses owners often market to people they wish were their clients, not to those who are likely to become customers.

To get a clearer picture of who your customers are, ask the front-line personnel. The people in your company such as the receptionist, your salespeople, customer service reps, and others will know your customers. They will all share with you the real facts.

Know Your Customers!

If you have several different or diverse product lines, you need to understand who your market is for each product line. Therefore, with varying lines of product, you may have different target audiences, depending on the type of product. It is essential to identify who are your customers for each product line and market to those people. If you don’t do this research, your marketing dollars are a total waste of your money.

My name is Robert Curry, and I am an Author, CEO Coach, Keynote Speaker, and Turnaround Specialist. Over the past 20 years, I have worked with more than 70 companies taking their businesses from Loses to Profits.

Please click on the links below to read my other articles like Know your customers!

Recently, I published two books about turnarounds: “From Red to Black – A Business Turnaround” and “The Turnaround.” Both books are true stories about turnarounds of real companies that I have turned around during my career. In both books, I shared all my Profit Improvement Recommendations (“PIR’s”). PIR’s helped to grow sales, reduce expenses, improve cash flow, and most importantly, strengthen the management teams.

If the information in this article Know Your Customers! helps you, your family or a business associate, please email me at bob@ceorsc.com and share with me the story.

If you would like to purchase either or both books autographed by the author, please click on the following link: Redtoblackbooks.com.

Marketing 101 – Watching the Super Bowl every year, you’d think that you will see “marketing” with all those big budget commercials. Those entertaining moments are the result of the marketing process, sometimes. Often they are attempts to be different or funny that don’t resonate with the customer, and then they don’t work. These Super Bown advertisements are not Marketing 101.

You can do better. Marketing your business is easy. Just follow a few simple steps.

1. Marketing 101 – Who is the current customer? Answer these simple questions:

Age

Male or female

Income

Geographic area or neighborhood

Essential factors (car owner, student, mom)

Why did they select your business for the first time?

Why do they come back?

2. Marketing 101 – Build your business by targeting the following groups:

Current customers (by creating more revenue per person)

New customers like the existing customers (a good target for ads)

A whole new group of individuals likely to become customers (after you’ve reached the first two categories above. Going off on advertising tangents is an expensive mistake.)

3. Marketing 101 – Communicate to each of the groups targeted in Step 2 as follows:

Pick one logo, one color scheme, and one tagline and put it on EVERYTHING. Your money farther when people can identify you.

For current customers, use low-cost gifts with purchase for buying new products or services and loyalty punch cards. Loyalty plans increase visits and sales.

Get all the attention you can from potential customers. Things like car wraps, signs on the building, cards, and postcards work well.

Do not buy ads unless you know, really know that you will be reaching the right people.

4. Marketing 101 – For every marketing effort, including a trackable feature, like a special offer. Always measure the results of every special offer.

5. Marketing 101 – Make sure that your website is user-friendly. Don’t bury important information, like the phone number, to look techno-cool. People will click off!

My name is Robert Curry, and I am an Author, CEO Coach, Keynote Speaker, and Turnaround Specialist. Over the past 20 years, I have worked with more than 70 companies taking their businesses from Loses to Profits.

Please click on the links below to read my other articles about business like this one – Marketing 101 – More than Super Bowl ads.

I have recently published two books about turnarounds: “From Red to Black – A Business Turnaround” and “The Turnaround.” Both books are true stories about turnarounds of real companies that I have turned around during my career. In both books, I have shared all my Profit Improvement Recommendations (“PIR’s”). PIR’s helped to grow sales, reduce expenses, improve cash flow, and most importantly, strengthen the management teams.

If the information in this article Marketing 101 – More than Super Bowl ads helps you, your family or a business associate, please email me at bob@ceorsc.com and share with me the story.

If you would like to purchase either or both books autographed by the author, please click on the following link: Redtoblackbooks.com.